Vaz tables FIFTH violent games EDM

Labour MP and long-term opponent of the games industry Keith Vaz has tabled his FIFTH early day motion about violent video games.

This time the parliamentarian is using Andres Breivik’s admission that he played Call of Duty as the ammunition for his attack.

That this House is reminded of the consequences of the ineffectual Pan European Game Information (PEGI) classification system for video games following the testimony of Anders Breivik about the tragic events in Norway in July 2011,” the EDM reads.

Notes that in his submission of evidence to the court Breivik describes how he trained for the attacks using the video game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare; is disturbed that Breivik used the game to help hone his `target acquisition’ and the suggestion that the simulation prepared him for the attacks

Is concerned that PEGI as a classification system can only provide an age-rating and not restrict ultra-violent content; recognises that in an era of ever-more sophisticated and realistic game-play more robust precautions must be taken before video games are published; and calls on the Government to provide for closer scrutiny of aggressive first-person shooter video games.”

So far the EDM has eight signatures, including Vaz and its five other sponsors – . That’s eight signatures out of a total of 650 UK MPs.

Vaz raised his previous EDM back in November 2011 in which he noted concern about the release of Modern Warfare 3 and the increasing evidence of a link between perpetrators of violent crime and violent video game users”.

He also raised the matter in the Commonslast December.